Merkley calls on Smith to return Stevens’ money

House Speaker and U.S. Senate candidate Jeff Merkley (D-Portland) called on Sen. Gordon Smith (R-Pendleton) to return the $39,000 in campaign donations that he has received during his political career from Sen. Ted Stevens (R-Alaska), who was charged with bribery on Tuesday.

"Ted Stevens has been indicted on very serious ethical charges,” Merkley said. “These charges cast an ethical cloud on money he raised from oil companies and others, some of which he passed on to Gordon Smith."

According to numbers provided by the Merkley campaign, Smith has received a total of $37,000 in donations, including $10,000 for this election cycle, from Stevens’ Northern Lights PAC.

Stevens was indicted by a federal grand jury in Washington Tuesday on seven charges relating to Stevens' alleged concealing hundreds of thousands of dollars worth of gifts and home renovations from VECO Corp., an Alaskan oil company.

The Merkley campaign is the third Democratic campaign to ask their rival to return funds. Earlier today, Senate candidate Al Franken (D-Minn.) requested that Republican incumbent Sen. Norm Coleman (R-Minn.) return the $25,000 in donations he received from Stevens’ political action committee. Another Democratic senate candidate, Rep. Tom Allen of Maine, called on incumbent Sen. Susan Collins (R-Me.) to return Stevens’ money.

As to what Smith should do with the money, Merkley had an idea.

"Senator Smith should donate these contributions to charities to help provide health insurance to Oregon children," he said.

Calls to Gordon Smith’s campaign were not immediately returned.

UPDATE on PolitickerOR.com:

• Smith to donate Stevens' contributions to charity